Starting applications from an external data storage device is limited to autorun on insertion of the data storage device or requires knowledge of how to find and run applications on a host device. Applications can be started upon insertion of the data storage device if the operating system of the host device supports autorun and the autorun capability has not been disabled. Alternatively, a service may be installed to start one or more applications upon insertion of the data storage device. Use of either mechanism requires removal and re-insertion of the data storage device if the application is to be restarted. Applications can be started by a knowledgeable user of the host device in many ways, but the user must know the location of the application and how to invoke the application using the operating system of the host device. This may be difficult for inexperienced users who are familiar with only a limited set of functions on the host device.